Benchmark: Are U.S. Salespeople Busier?

What do American salespeople and their European counterparts have in common? Not much, say two recent reports. Americans spend 55% of their time selling, both face-to-face and by phone, while Europeans spend half their time waiting and traveling. Apparently, telemarketing hasn't taken hold over there.

A week in the life. Hours spent on -- by U.S. by European salespeople salespeople Selling face-to-face 13.9 9.0

Selling over the phone 11.5 0

Waiting and traveling 8.5 24.3

Administrative tasks 7.0 2.2

Service calls 5.6 0

Lunch 0 5.9

Misc. (parking etc.) 0 3.6

Average hours worked 46.5 45

Sources: "Dartnell's 28th Survey of Sales Force Compensation 1994-1995," Dartnell, Chicago; and "How Europe Sells," Kinnaird Communications Group, Glasgow, Scotland, August 1994. Each survey polled the sales forces at more than 550 companies of all sizes, Dartnell across the United States and Kinnaird throughout the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany.